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Book Synopsis
In The Invented State, Emily Thorson argues that a problematic and understudied aspect of political misinformation reflects widespread public misperception about what the government does. Because much of public policy is invisible to the public, there is fertile ground for false beliefs to flourish, leading to the creation of what Thorson terms the invented state: systematic misperceptions about public policy. However, people get the facts wrong not because they are lazy, stupid, or blinded by partisan loyalty. Rather, misperceptions are created when three conditions are met: when citizens have incomplete information about an issue, when their own biases color their understanding of it, and when they feel that the issue is important. In other words, the invented state is created not just by exposure to explicit misinformation, but also by individuals'' cognitive errors. Correcting these policy misperceptions is highly effective at reducing false beliefs. In addition, providing people w

The Invented State

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    A Paperback / softback by Emily Thorson

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      Book details

      Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
      Published 19 February 2024
      ISBN-13 9780197512333
      978-0197512333
      ISBN-10 019751233X
      Also in:
      Comparative politics Disability: social aspects Public opinion and polls

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      In The Invented State, Emily Thorson argues that a problematic and understudied aspect of political misinformation reflects widespread public misperception about what the government does. Because much of public policy is invisible to the public, there is fertile ground for false beliefs to flourish, leading to the creation of what Thorson terms the invented state: systematic misperceptions about public policy. However, people get the facts wrong not because they are lazy, stupid, or blinded by partisan loyalty. Rather, misperceptions are created when three conditions are met: when citizens have incomplete information about an issue, when their own biases color their understanding of it, and when they feel that the issue is important. In other words, the invented state is created not just by exposure to explicit misinformation, but also by individuals'' cognitive errors. Correcting these policy misperceptions is highly effective at reducing false beliefs. In addition, providing people w

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